Center on Human Development and Disability

Stem cell resources and related intellectual and infrastructure support are provided to investigators interested in stem cell biology and pre-clinical studies in transplantation and regenerative medicine.

The genetic, immune, endocrine, reproductive and metabolic similarities between humans and nonhuman primates (NHP's) make the NHP a singularly exceptional model system for human diseases. Embryonic stem cell (ESC)-based technologies have revolutionized the bioengineering of animal models. The Reproductive Biology and Stem Cell Core (RBSCC) of the Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) is an exciting new core that has worked to develop a robust panel of NHP ESC technologies as a foundation for the development of bioengineered NHP models. The RBSCC has developed protocols for the derivation, maintenance, characterization and manipulation of macaque ESCs. These cells are available for distribution to local, national and international researchers interested in primate ESC biology. Nonhuman primate ESC also offer a unique translational opportunity for investigators interested in testing their advances in a pre-clinical model system of ESC transplantation and regenerative medicine that closely resembles human ESC biology.

The RBSCC offers access to the only available Macaca fascicularis ESC lines within the 8 National Primate Research Centers and the only Macaca nemestrina ESC lines currently available world-wide. Both male and female ESC lines are available and all have been validated as normal pluripotent stem cells after rigorous assessment of karyotype, positive signalling for pluripotency markers (Fig. 1) and differentiation capability into the three primary germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm (Fig. 2). Additionally, several of our national and international collaborators have demonstrated stable generation of GFP-ESC clones (Fig. 3) and derivation of fully differentiated cell types from our ESC lines including neuronal and cardiac lineages (Fig. 2).